The Monarch
The Queen gives a speech during a dinner hosted by the Government of Canada at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto on July 5, 2010.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1534, when the King of France claimed possession of what is now Canada, the history of our country has been marked by the reigns of an uninterrupted succession of monarchs, both French and British, who have had a significant influence on our country's development
As a constitutional monarch, The Queen no longer "rules" the country. However, as Canada's Head of State, she remains a fundamental part of Canada's system of government and our sense of identity.
The Queen of Canada
Her Majesty was the first of Canada's sovereigns to be proclaimed separately Queen of Canada. In 1953, a Canadian law, the Royal Style and Titles Act, formally conferred upon Elizabeth II the title of "Queen of Canada".
Her Majesty was proclaimed in Canada with these words: "By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
Queen Elizabeth II became the first monarch to be separately proclaimed Sovereign of Canada. The proclamation reaffirmed the new monarch's position as Queen of Canada, a role independent of that as Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
On September 9, 2015, a new milestone was reached. Her Majesty The Queen became the longest-reigning sovereign in Canada's modern era.
The Queen's Role
As the living embodiment of the Crown, Her Majesty unites Canadians gives a collective sense of belonging to our country and anchors our sense of national identity and pride.
New Canadians swear allegiance to The Queen, so do Members of Parliament and the Legislatures, military and police officers.
We do not swear allegiance to a piece of cloth (office), a document (a constitution) or a political entity. Rather we swear allegiance to a person who embodies all these as well as our collective values as a people.